Ford Ranger Gearbox & Transmission Problems

It could be, but it’s impossible to now for certain unless you have it dismantled.

Have you checked the clutch? It could be worn out at that sort of mileage. If that’s ok get the adjustment of the selector checked.

The problem could be in the gearbox selectors which, as their name suggests, are the mechanical linkages that allow you to select each gear. If the selectors for fifth gear are worn or incorrectly adjusted, you could have a situation where the car is not fully selecting fifth gear, allowing it to pop out of gear when you load the transmission.

The other possibility, of course, is that, at 428,000km (a pretty good innings for one of these vehicles) the actual internal bits of the gearbox are so worn that the thing is jumping out of fifth in protest. If that’s the case, an inspected, second-hand replacement gearbox from a wrecking yard would be the most cost-effective solution.

Call back and ask what was done to ensure nothing else was affected. I would want them to tear the gearbox down, flush everything out, and check the internals before putting it back together and installing the new torque convertor.

I have some not-so-good news for you, David. The US-spec Ranger has a driveline that allows the transfer-case to be placed in neutral-2WD. Australian Rangers don’t. And it’s really that simple.

Flat-towing an Aussie Ranger would mean that the automatic transmission would be spinning internally without lubrication. That’s because the oil pump that lubricates the transmission only operates when the car’s engine is running.

Modern four-wheel-drive tech has all but eliminated the neutral position in the transfer-case, so the vast majority of vehicles are in the same boat. Technically, you could flat-tow a vehicle with a manual transmission (because the gearbox is splash-lubricated, not pump-lubricated) but my contacts at Ford tell me that you’d void your new-car warranty in the process in the Ranger’s case.

So what are your flat-towing options? Something like a Jeep Wrangler or Suzuki Jimny might be okay (but I’d check with the manufacturer first) or find something older with an old-school transfer-case set-up that allows for a neutral position.

A clutch pedal that won’t return is either sticking (due to friction) has a broken or weak return spring or is throwing out beyond the point it should (like an athlete hyper-extending their knee). How that’s related to the gear-lever locking up is anybody’s guess, but it’s true that if the clutch isn’t disengaging properly (which could be the case if the clutch pedal isn’t doing its thing properly) then the car will refuse to select gears and that can feel like the lever is jammed. Switch the engine off and see if the gears will then select. If so, I’d say the clutch is not disengaging and you may have to pull it all apart again to find out why.

Before you worry about what might happen in the future the problem needs to be fixed now. I suspect the problem is not the computer, but within the transmission. Have an auto transmission mechanic check it.

This model Mazda BT-50 and its Ford Ranger counterpart (they’re the same vehicle under the skin) have had their share of automatic transmission problems over the years. There are known problems with the gears in the oil pump which are prone to wear, valve-body problems and a fault with the output shaft speed sensor which can also fail, forcing the gearbox back into first gear at relatively high speeds. All these problems could be contributing factors in the problems you’re seeing.

While EGR valves often need replacement (and I’m not disputing that yours did) I don’t imagine the EGR valve would have had anything to do with your gearbox problem. It’s not uncommon – nor unreasonable - for workshops to charge a diagnosis fee (it involves workshop time, after all) but servicing the transmission alone won’t fix it if it has any of the problems I’ve listed above.

Being such a new vehicle it’s unlikely to be a simple service issue, more likely a calibration one. If you are concerned about it have an independent automatic transmission mechanic assess it for you.

I’ve heard of a couple problems with the ten-speed automatic in these Rangers; problems that could produce the problems you’ve noted.

From what I can gather through the trade, there has been a dealer bulletin regarding failures of and problems with the transmission’s torque converter. Without a functioning torque converter, it’s entirely possible that you could have experienced exactly the symptoms you’ve mentioned. The fact that the computer hasn’t logged a relevant code is a bit of a puzzle, but stranger things have happened. Apparently, there was a manufacturing problem with a batch of transmissions (some of which were sold in Australia) and that problem caused torque-converter failure.

The other problem my insiders have identified involves the front oil pump for the transmission. Again, without this functioning, the transmission lacks the oil pressure it needs to engage and provide drive. Like the torque converters, it seems there was a bad batch of oil pumps made with too much hardening applied to the teeth, which made them brittle and prone to breaking.

I’m tipping the dealership will have a pretty good idea of what’s going on and that it will involve either the oil pump or the torque converter. At least your vehicle is still under factory warranty.